Adani picks company to build Rocky Council's CQ airstrip

TOOWOOMBA construction materials company Wagners will build a major airstrip near the proposed Adani coal mine to transport fly-in, fly-out workers.

CEO Cameron Coleman confirmed the business was the winner of the tender for the private airstrip in the Galilee Basin.

While Mr Coleman could not reveal the value of the agreement, the project is estimated to cost about $30 million and will be jointly-funded by Rockhampton Regional Council and Townsville City Council.

"We've been pricing that job now for about four years,” he said.

HAPPY DAYS: Wagners CEO Cameron Coleman and construction materials general manager John Stark, who are both long-term employees at the company, celebrate the successful float of the business on the ASX in Sydney.Tom Gillespie

"The agreement was signed last year - it was back in the last quarter, about November.

"The reality with the Adani job was it was an extremely long tender process.

"It would be one of the longest tender processes in my time at Wagners.”

The job is expected to require about 70 workers.

But Mr Coleman said the contract wasn't in effect until Wagners received a start date from Adani.

"Before the contract commences, we are required to receive a notice to proceed and we have not received that,” he said.

"It's imminent, however we have not yet received that notice.”

Several arms of the business will be used during construction, including the quarry, road maintenance and airport construction crews.

Meanwhile, the Crime and Corruption Commission has asked the Local Government Department to investigate the decision by the Townsville City Council to fund the project.

It followed a complaint from businessman Philip Batty, who said the contract had been awarded without due process by the council.